make something day

In response to the over-consumptive habits of western culture, Adbusters magazine has been promoting Buy Nothing Day for years now. The Friday after Thanksgiving is typically marked as the highest buying day for Americans. But we live in a world that can no longer handle our consumptive habits here in the west. And while we pile up on things we don’t need a large portion of the world exists without basic human needs being met every day. So, we applaud Buy Nothing Day… but it isn’t enough for us. As followers of Jesus, we believe that giving is a central part of the lifestyle we are trying embody. So, we replaced the negative with something positive: Make Something Day. Go ahead and give gifts this holiday season. As the say, giving is better than receiving. But that doesn’t mean buying something is. So, we encourage folks to avoid shopping on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Instead, stay home, put a log on the fire and try making something for someone. Don’t feel creative? Visit the BuyNothingChristmas.org website for some good ideas to get you started.

Here are a few resources that you might find helpful:

Affluenza: a great book documenting the effects of consumerism on western culture, and the world

We’d love to have people share their ideas, creations and stories of hosting Make Something Day parties and experiences from giving gifts you’ve made. If you’d like to contribute to documenting Make Something Day, here are a few ways: